site.btaEight Fires Registered in Bulgarian National Parks in 2024 Affecting Total Area of Some 371 Hectares

Eight fires have been registered this year in the three National Parks in Bulgaria - Rila, Central Balkan and Pirin. They have affected a total area of some 371 hectares, the Ministry of Environment and Water said in response to a BTA inquiry on Saturday.

Tree, shrub and grass species that serve as shelters and food base for mammals, birds and reptiles have been affected or destroyed, the Ministry added. Depending on the location, type and scale of the fires, different types of natural habitats of species that are subject to protection within the boundaries of national parks and protected areas of the Natura 2000 network have been affected and damaged. Such are habitats of brown bear, wild goat, wolf, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, hare, tortoise, etc., the Ministry noted.

Fires occurring in high mountain areas have a long-term devastating impact because the recovery processes take decades and in some areas the damage is difficult to reverse. In lowland fires, the burnt ground layer, dead forest cover, burnt grass and shrub species and various mosses will recover naturally the year after the fire, experts explained.

The Ministry assured that it is working on several areas of fire prevention. Increasing the capacity of the staff of the National Parks Directorates, including training, instruction, purchase of specialized equipment, is one of the measures. Raising awareness for citizen participation and response, alerting and evacuation is another priority area. The Ministry is also focusing on a preliminary assessment of habitat conditions to determine the degree of fire hazard depending on habitat wetness, topography specificity and availability of combustible materials, access, water sources, etc.

Another measure is the annual preparation of operational plans for fire-fighting activities, as well as cleaning and periodic securing of fire-burning areas, while certain sites in the national parks such as huts and shelters are equipped with fire-fighting equipment.

It is imperative to reforest the burnt places, caretaker Environment Minister Petar Dimitrov told BTA in July. The fires are mainly caused by global drought and high temperatures, he said.

The Ministry confirmed to the BTA that negative impacts are being seen across the country and within national parks as a result of rising temperatures in 2024. According to experts from the directorates of national parks, there are reduced flows of the main rivers, partial to complete drying up of the smaller tributaries of these rivers, lakes and ponds, premature termination of vegetation of some tree species in the lower parts of the mountains, etc.